"¡THREE AMIGOS!" (1986)

Steve Martin Im:ne Michaels Randy NB1mB11

We are in the small Mexican village of Santo Poco. It is a town farming town of quiet, if humble, beauty. Green trees shade a fountain in the center of the square. Vines climb the walls of the sun-bleached casas. There is a church, a cantina, a granary, and at the edge of town, a corral, in which the few cattle the town possess- es are standing. Fields of grain extend outward to the surrounding desert, and in the distance we see the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

SUPER: Mexico, 1916.

Through a series of cuts, we establish the life of the village:

-- Some of the men of the town work late in the fields as the sun sets behind them.

two small boys drive an ox-drawn cart laden with

corn out of the fields and into the town.

-- the old women of the village are milling grain at the millstone.

-- Villagers in a thached covered area sit be~~ over foot-powered sewing machines making serapes. i

Z HOUSE - ~ ~/ ~~1e:~ ~j

HE SANCHEZ AMILY is seatea at~rlner table. FATHER is af e head of the table. To his right sits~ is fourteen year old son. Across from Rodrigo is his -1:::::-n

1' r c~~ ~

_~ ~ (.;:!,~ ,.._,g___) (CONTINUED)

r

the two boys driving the ox-cart. They stop suddenly listen to the distant sound of the hoofbeats.

Louder now, we can hear the sound of THUNDERING HOOF- BEATS. The family is moving quickly, hiding blankets, putting food away. MAMA SANCHEZ crosses herself before a crucifix. ·

The town is now alive with activity. The children are HUSTLED inside. Those of the animals that can be, are swooped up and carried inside the homes of their owners. The CATTLE are taken from their corral and driven INTO THE CANTINA. The peasants still in the fields run toward the village. The doors and windows are SHUTTERED AND BARRED.

Outside the village, we see FIFTY ARMED HORSEMEN heading through the empty fields toward the town. Their rifles poke into the sky as they ride. Leather straps filled with bullets criss-cross their chests. ~

l'

The streets of the town are silent and empty as the last door is locked and the last bolt is turned. The bandidos ride into town and assemble in the square. Dramatically,

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(CONTINUED) 0... ~ ~

into the frame ride~ the leader of the band- .......__k r idos. He coldly su;~~ empty, boarded-up town. He, gestures in the direction of the granary. A few of his men quickly dismount and break down its doors •. They .4---DA return with six or seven BAGS OF GRAIN which they throw~ on the backs of their horses. El Guapo pauses a moment, ~ rhaisehs his rifle, and fbires a shotdat thAe behll in thded. 6, ,. c urc tower. 1 t rever erates 1ou 1y. st e soun ies _ away, he speaks:

We see~_!:l Guapo's obsequious second in

He motions to Jefe, who, along with several other bandi- dos, dismounts. With their rifle butts, they break down the doors of the houses, and HERD the frigntened villag- ers into the square.

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{CONTINUED)

El Guapo slowly rides up to Father Sanchez. He looks again for a moment at Carmen.

El Guapo glares down at Father Sanchez.

He grabs Father Sanchez and lifts him up so th~y are face to face.

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He pushes Father Sanchez aside, and rides with his men out of town. Father Sanchez is caught among the horsemen and is KNOCKED BRUTALLY to the ground. RODRIGO, CARMEN AND MAMA SANCHEZ rush to their father's side and kneel beside him. He is helped to his feet and, assisted by Rodrigo and Carmen, walks slowly to his house. The crowd disperses, except for a few men who linger in the street, surveying the damage.

They enter the house. Father is helped to his chair by Rodrigo. Carmen approaches with a glass of water which her father refuses.

Fatehr Sanchez,.humiliated by what has happened, averts his eyes. Rodrigo is unable to watch. With tears in his eyes, he rushes outside.

the m~o remain in the street. Among them are / AND PEDR . - ~ ~ ~ ~

CARLOS :tJ;wL ~ This time he will leave us with -----~-~J...:.. nothing. ·

PEDRO ~If:±, At least he will leave us our lives. (~~ CARLOS Yes. So that we can plant I~ another crop for him next spring.

Rodrigo comes up to the men.

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Carmen appears from the house.

Carmen puts her arm around her younger brother.

We are in the town of DIABLO. It is a good deal larger than Santo Poco, and considerably more up to date. There is a telegraph office, a hording house, a livery stable, and, about a mile from town, a train depot. The main street is dominated by a sleezy, honky-tonk bar. Carmen and Rodrigo ride down the street on a horse, Clearly, they have never been out of their little village before, and they are amazed by what they see. An AUTOr-tDBILE clanks by. ;

Carmen and Rodrigo dismount and tie up their horse. They watch as several desperados enter the bar.

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As Rodrigo and Carmen enter, activity stops, and ALL HEADS TURN TOWARDS THEM. We see a frighten tableau of the WQrst collection of gunfighters and desperados ever assembled in one room. Rodrigo and Carmen back out of the bar.

They stand outside the bar.

Rodrigo enters the bar. Carmen sits on a bench and watches as a car goes by. She sees a crowd of people entering a building next to the bar. The sound of a pipe organ emanates from the building. Rodrigo comes out of the bar.

She hears t~e sound of the organ and they join the crowd of townspeople entering the building next to the bar.

She enters, Rodrigo following. The cinema is crowded. Above the screen is a small crucifix.

With the organist playing in the background, she sees a title appear on the screen: THE THREE AMIGOS, ·and the movie begins. r -- Three horsemen, grinning into camera, ride in the Mexican countryside. They are wearing tight, black pants studded with conchos. On their heads are big sombreros.

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INTERCUT: Carmen's face, amazement.

-- A wide shot of The Three Amigos.

ART CARD: WE RIDEi

Close-up o@D NEDERLANDD

ART CARD: WE FIGHT!

Close-up~

ART CARD: WE LOVE!

-- Close-up~

ART CARD: BUT IN THE VILLAGE THERE

-- We see raiders, not unlike El tormenting a village.

-- Close-up of the tortured face of a young wo

ART CARD: ONLY ONE THING CAN SAVE US NOW, THE THREE ~, AMIGOS! ·

-----t--::s,A---1-

-- Back to the young woman, her face suddenly alive with hope. A'~-'- JO~

The Amigos, in the same shot as before, ridinf'towar~

the village. ~ ~

-- The bandido, with the young woman in his arms, looksJJ.12i~1' up toward the horizon. A look of fear crosses his~face.~ -

ART CARD: OH NOi IT IS THE THREE AMIGOS! ,,(~~ ct--~

-- Same shot of the Amigos on horses, this ti~k ~ i4 their guns blazing. /I l OO O,(\() ~ =-ff

Shot of the bandit leader. If u ;---'r-',~'--1!!-6:-;f:-ra;;-~+~-=.$:~~-'-1..f-~

ART CARD: YOU WILL DIE LIKE DOGS, AMIGOS!~~ ~-

lL~.. _;ttt~

-- Shot of NED answering back. ✓---- ,- - G

ART CARD: NO, WE WILL NOT DIE LIKE DOGS, WE ~WILL FIGE;?;~ LIKE LIONS I -;rt"t>- ' df;

'fa.~ ~·t

£J ~-~~ ~ .. ~~~ • ~ . L J; A - -~~-~ *~~- _,_<CON~ ... ~

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-- The Amigos ride into town. Four of the bandidos run, only to be lassoed IN ONE TOSS by LUCKY.

-- LESTER throws his knife. A bandido is pinned to a door, and struggles to free himself.

-- NED, draws his guns INCREDIBLY FAST, JUGGLES THEM, and fires repeatedly, shooting the pistoles out of three of the bandidos hands.

-- The rest of the bandidos mount their horses and flee.

-- An old man and the beautiful young girl approach the Amigos as the villagers look on. The old man offers up a sack of gold.

ART CARD: HERE IS THE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS WE PROMISED YOU.

-- NED takes the money, looks to LUCKY AND LESTER, then with a grin, gallantly tosses ·the gold back to the old man.

ART CARD: OUR PAY IS THAT JUSTICE HAS BEEN DONEi

-- LUCKY DAY reaches down and kisses the beautiful girl. She looks up at him, her face flushed with feeling. Lucky turns into the light, and we see a PROFILE OF LUCKY DAY. Posing nobly, its a shot that seems to go on forever.

ART CARD: LET US GIVE THE AMIGO SALUTE!

-- The Amigo salute: They cross their chests with their hands and then put them on their hips in a rhythmic one, two, three. They ride off into the sunset as the towns- people show their gratitude.

The flicker of the film dies down on Carmen's face. The people begin to file out of the Cinema. She is utterly enraptured with the Amigos. Rodrigo, equally enchanted, stares at the blank screen.

RODRIGO

,..,. With three men like that, El '\ Guapo would not dare to enter

our village.

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r

them ...•

She looks over and sees the poster for "The Three Ami- gos." She walks up to the poster and she sees written at the bottom, "Goldsmith Pictures, Hollywood, California"

Carmen is dictating a telegram to a dapper telegrapher. He is nicely soused.

CARMEN

Pictures, Hollywood, California.

TELEGRAPHER

She searches for a word. Rodrigo supplies her:

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RODRIGO

Carmen and Rodrigo exchange looks.

They dump their last pesos on the desk. They watch as the telegrapher crosses out a number of words, stumbles over to the key and sends the message.

He stops for a moment, looking at the message, then he makes a substitution.

Carmen and Rodrigo leave the telegraph office.

They stand outside the office.

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They sit outside, staring through the glass at the telegraph key, as the telegrapher sends their message.

SUPER: HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA

We are inside an elaborate Hollywood mansion. An excess of vulgar overblown furniture fills the foyer and a sweeping staircase inates the ~nt Several servaqts~ pass, includin TRIN the maid. James ~he butler,~~ dressed in a form ft:way, clim~s e stairs. He .1.,,,.,t_~=--.--- Jcnocks successively o.~ach o~~the ~h~'.F :;!E:.-/ _

B~ · ' ~•_Ab · (at each door) .Nf'. ~ 't:::iLP-1 Forty minutes to your meeting o _--4-ll -·:-a-~ with Mr. Flugleman. Breakfast~ A.J!IUJ./\-~ in five minutes. -G ~

MUSIC BEGINS. C ~'

The THREE AMIGOS EMERGE from their respective rooms. They are dressed to the nines, very much the Hollywood stars. Their cashmere jackets set off perfectly their beautifully starched shirts and ties. LESTER wears a glamourous hairdo, his hair waving back over h¥ head in tight, beautiful curls. They troop down the steps, each of them attracted by a large mirror at the foo~ of the stairs. They stop and primp endlessly at the mirror. Lucky keeps looking at his profile; Ned checks his wardrobe, and Lester puts grotesque amounts of HAIR POMADE on his head.

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The song ends. The Amigos continue to primp.

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LUCKY

r So? It's a thing ..• it's working

for me. You call yourself "The Profile" long enough, pretty soon somebody else does, then everybody is ••..

From the dining room, a FIFTEEN YEAR OLD BOY emerges. He is WILD-EYED and very hyper. He carries a can of floor wax in one hand and a polishing cloth in the other and approaches JAMES the butler. The Amigos continue their primping.

They go over to the dining room. There is a HIGHLY POLISHED MARBLE FLOOR. Without stepping on it, the boy picks up a TWENTY POUND CURLING STONE. He puts it on the floor. It SLIDES across the floor as though it were made of ice.

He takes out a bottle of old-fashioned cure-all. The boy takes a swig and becomes curiously alert.

James nods yes and the boy retreats into the dining room, polishing furiously. Lucky calls to James.

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Lucky takes the bottle and reads the label.

Katrina enters from the kitchen.

We see the Amigos enter the dining room. They SLIDE AND SLIP across the· intensly waxed floor to their seats.

[Technical note: We will put roller skates on the Amigos and shoot them from the knees up, replacing the skate sounds with footsteps.)

The Amigos finally make it to their seats. In the background, THE BOY polishes furiously.

- NED

Excellent.

One of the servants enters the dining room cartying a tray full of food. He SLIPS AND SLIDES his way over to the table barely making it. He puts the food down at each plate, SLIDING around the floor all through the next conversation.

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He gets up and goes in the kitchen. SLIPPING AND SLIDING all the way.

KATRINA and A CHAUFFEUR are locked in a passionate embrace. When the off balance Lucky bursts through the door, they separate quickly and he exits. Lucky walks over to Katrina. He kisses her and PUTS HIS HANDS ON HER BREASTS.

Ned rises.

He SLIPS AND SLIDES to the kitchen door.

Ned enters. They separate quickly. Lucky quickly covers.

LUCKY

morning omelette.

He exits, leaving Ned alone with Katrina. Ned walks over to her and puts HIS HANDS ON HER BREASTS.

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Katrina is very pleased at this.

Lucky comes back to the table, sliding all the way. Lester gets up to go to the kitchen.

Then, Lester enters from the foyer. Ned an Katrina break suddenly. Ned covers.

Ned exits. Lester is alone with Katrina. He walks over too her and puts his hands on her breasts.

~

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P" Servants line up to say goodbye. The Amigos march out ~- and enter their car.

We see the exterior of Goldsmith Studios. There is a billboard out front with the Three Amigo wearing tuxedos and top hats. The billboard reads, "Those Darn Amigos, fa3turing Miss Rene." n

The studio head ,-;--office. It is a bustling comman~ "-- center ~There are two other assistants, including\MORTY)I and~ One stands beside him, the other on the phone. ~-'f ()

' .A I ~ CV\.' .,U")l U-i CF°LUGLEMA]:2 ' -~-l . Streamlining) That's ~d _ o.,;,Mt;;JJ

today. ~ k~

MORTY ~ Streamlining, Mr. Flugleman?

Those guys in New York think we sit around all day pulling our puds. They think I don't know how to run a studio? They think I don't know how to trim our sails? How to separate the wheat from the chaff?

Throughout, in the background, Sam is on the phone giving orders to streamline.

,.

The Amigo's limo stops at the studio gate. Th~re is a group of fans surrounding the car. The Amigos:and the chaffeur exit the car. The fans run up to the DRIVER and ask for his autograph. The Amigos enter the studio.

The tirade continues.

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Flugleman' s secretary~~ enter~~

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It's Flugleman's outer office. His secretary, NANCY, sits behind a desk as the Amigos enter.

She hands Lucky a small stack of mail.

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She hands Ned a stack too. She then pulls out-an enor- mous stack of mail.

Well, Mr. Profile and Mr. real acting," it looks like I've got the "it." The magic. The stuff that money can't buy. The public has spoken.

Lucky and Ned glare furiously at Lester.

NANCY

the Amigos.

She hands it to Lester. He starts to open it, but the office door opens and Morty calls to the Amigos.

They enter the office.

The Amigos walk confidently into the room.

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Lester and Ned laugh.

you get to know him, you come to respect each other and at the end of the picture, you're friends.

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Lucky looks over at the other two, then steps forward.

Flugleman's face starts to contort. Lucky winks at the other Amigos.

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FLUGLEMAN

..

Where'd you get those coats?

r

From a movie?

At that moment, six WARDROBE PEOPLE come in the office and in a flurry of activity, start removing the Amigos' fancy coats, leaving them with only pants and shirts. (

r LUCKY

Hey, hang on here a second. I think· you misread who you're talking to.

Sam presses a button under the desk. Six studio guards enter the office and and amidst a volley of protestation, the Amigos are hustled out of the office.

The Amigos exit the building still being given the bum's rush by the guards. The Amigos are yelling at~one another. .!·

NED ~ You had to do itl You had to say itl You had to tell Flug- leman how to make movies.

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r

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They get to the gate and the six guards throw them out, right on their wazoos.

They stand there looking angrily at one another. They look up and see· the Three Amigos poster being papered over with a new Miss Rene poster. Ned turns to Lucky.

He storms off. Lester and Lucky watch him go. They are left alone in front of the studio.

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t little.

I LUCKY

Lester, you know me. Try to

I picture me begging. I've always

been the leader of the Three Amigos, even though right now my men despise me. How would you like to see your leader begging?

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Lucky gets up and walks away. He thinks. Lester, in the background, discovers the TELEGRAM in his pocket. He opens it and casually reads it.

He turns and sees Lester passed out of the sidewalk. The telegram is in his hand. Lucky runs over to him and slaps him to. Lester indicates the telegram. Lucky reads it.

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I LESTER

That's a lot of money, isn't it?

Lucky stands in front of the studio and yells up at it.

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A midget, or something, slams into Lucky and flattens him.

Lester and Lucky knock on the door of a modest bungalow in Hollywood. An elderly woman answers.

Haven'~~~w~=i?ug~o ~ ~ Neddy today? ( ~ ~

They enter the house.

Mrs. Nederlander escorts them in and goes to get Ned. The walls of the parlor are filled with pictures and momentos of Ned's days as the child star, Little Neddy Knickers. There is a picture of Little Neddy sitting on Teddy Roosevelt's knee, and one of them of Babe Ruth. Lucky and Lester have never seen the Nederlander parlor before and are either impressed, stunned, awestruck maybe -- take your pick. -

He looks at a photo.

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Ned enters.

Lucky takes out the telegram and brandishes it in front of Ned.

Ned perks up a little, then appears to lose interest.

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Ned thinks about it.

Lucky looks frustratedly over at Lester, who is no help.

Lucky grudgingly accepts.

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Jle.--thfee of them knock at thedoor of their old house. ~;_he butler answers.-

b. ~ ~AMES May I help you?

He emphatically slams the door. The Amigos bang on it. From above, the window opens and Miss Rene,.~ resident of the mansion, pokes her head out~

What the QI~~ :m on out ~ ~ ~ :] there? ~~~&~i~--.IF-----

LESTER i¼, ~ ~ ~ Miss Rene ••• We came to . •.

: r ~~1. "'

~J-~~ I. IA1.....Ji- <CONTINUEDj , ., . 1-:. n.., j

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She laughs at them and shuts the window.

Illuminated by a streetlight, Lester and Ned creep around outside the studio wall. The Amigo poster has been replaced by a Miss Rene poster.

He gestures above his head.

A ROPE falls into the shot from above. We start hearing ODD BIRD CALL sounds from above. They take no notice of them.

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The bird calls, which had grown increasingly more weird, have now stopped. Lucky has given them up and just yells down at Lester and Ned.

He starts to climb the rope.

They hide behind a building as a studio guard passes them.

Ned and Lester nod approval. Then, they all dash simul- taneously. HALF WAY OUT, they realize their mistake and Lucky orders them back to where they started from.

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He darts off around the corner and safely makes it to the wardrobe entrance. He turns to look back where Lester and Ned should be coming from. They don't come. After a lengthly stare, Lucky dashes back. He finds Lester and Ned still behind the building.

He dashes out, alone, and the rest follow ONE AT A TIME. They arrive singularly at the wardrobe department.

He does. It's open. They climb in.

Rows and rows of costumes hang on racks. The Amigos sneak down the aisles searching for their costumes •

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They search the room for their costumes.

We see from his POV the Amigo costumes hanging on a rack. They are illuminated slightly and they appear to glow in the darkness of the wardrobe room. The Amigos approach them reverentially.

MUSIC COMES UP. They march toward the costumes. A hand goes in a glove. A hat goes on a head. They begin to change into their costumes. Lots of close-ups qf their spangly conchos and sombreros. We see a shot of Lucky and Ned tightening Lester's corset. Finally, they stand, fully dressed, as the Three Amigos.

Ned twirls his guns with a flourish. Suddenly~ there is the SOUND OF GUARDS.

There is a pounding on the door.

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(9

The instrumental introduction to The THREE AMIGOS song begins. As the guards pound on the door, the Amigos slip out the window into the early morning light. Lucky leads, Ned close behind, Lester carrying the box of blanks. Lucky peers around the corner of the wardrobe building. He sees a swarm of guards.

The three take off in the opposite direction. They move quickly through the studio, the guards in hot pursuit. Something about having their costumes on makes them work better together.

On the studio lot, a movie is in progress. On the set, Miss Rene is seated in the well of a catapult dressed as Marie Antoinette. Flugleman and Morty approach watching the action.

The director, the leading man and several crew members fuss around her, talking down the shot.

41:4-~~ (Brooklyn accent) Make sure you get it right.

She spots Flugleman across the set.

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The set SPRINGS TO LIFE at the mention of the word Harry. r Harry looks embarrassed.

There is quiet on the set. The director yells action. The leading actor leaps onto the set. But before he can save Miss Rene, The AMIGOS run through the set. Ned notices the position Miss Rene is in and cannot pass up the opportunity. He grabs the sword out of the leading man's scabard and SLICES THE ROPE. She is CATAPULTED over Flugleman's head, through a set wall and onto a backdrop which breaks her fall and probably several bones. The Amigos keep on running, laughing as they go. They evade the guards and deftly SCALE the walls of the studio. They stand atop the wall and wave their sombreros at the frustrated guards.

The Amigos are at a train station in downtown Los Angeles. They are still dressed in their outfits, and people stare at them curiously.

LESTER

~

right near the Valley of the Living Death.

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Close-up of the telegraph key finishing a message. The operator hands the telegram to the waiting Carmen. She reads the message, and shouts exuberantly to Rodrigo.

A train makes its way across the desert.

We are tight on a family of DIGNIFIED MEXICAN PEASANTS who are laughing at something. The camera reveals what it is they are laughing at. NED, LUCKY AND LESTER, sit opposite them, still dressed in their black spangled outfits. Chickens and goats wander the car untethered.

- clothes! There might be press

people, there might be people who want our auto,raphs, photo- graphers .•• we don t know how big this thing is.

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Lucky and Lester are guilty.

The train puffs across the desert.

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Lester, Lucky and Ned sleep uncomfortably in one seat.

It is morning. The Amigos are stirring. Lester has his hair in curlers.

Lester begins to remove the curlers from his hair. The train grinds to a halt.

The train pulls out of the station to reveal the Amigos. All three twirls their guns. We see from their POV that no one is watching them.

Suddenly, a WWI biplane noisly flies over their heads.

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(CONTINUED) G

As Ned laughs, the other two Amigos think about this joke for about a minute. They never get it. Finally, they holster their guns, pick up their box, and head towards town. We hear the SOUND OF THE TRAIN disappearing in the distance. As the train fades, the sounds of FLIES, SNAKES AND SCORPIONS become audible.

We see the same faces we saw here earlier when Carmen and Rodrigo visited it. Suddenly, from outside, we hear the SOUND OF AN ENGINE. The room shakes and the startled bandidos look up toward the dopr. Two bandidos open the swinging doors and we see the WWI BIPLANE which has rolled to a stop in front of the cantina.

~~~ BARTENDER ~ Just tequila. ( Lu3-nrul

The Frenchman nods. The bartender sets him up. He ta~;-,;~--e~> a sip of his drink and sets the drink down carefully on 1/ the bar.

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From behind, a bandido challenges the Frenchman.

The Frenchman again takes silent note of the insult. But he continues talking.

The Frenchman again ignores the insult.

ZING! In a motion almost invisible to the naked eye, the stranger DRAWS HIS GUNS and SHOOTS his tormentor down, mercilessly. In another part of the room three other men begin to draw on the Frenchman. He turns and SHOOTS THEM DOWN.

Silence.

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He walks slowly through the room and out the door. We hear the SOUND of the plane taking off. The startled bandidos clear away the bodies.

WAVES OF HEAT come off the street. The SUN BEATS DOWN on the Amigos. We see the Amigos walking down the street. Eventually, they pass the bar where the Frenchman dealt with the gunslingers.

( r INT. BAR - DAY

The bar doors s~ing open and the Amigos enter. The bandidos stare at them. Are these the men the Frenchman warned them about?

CLOSE-UP

Ned's pearl-handled guns.

i~ \'. The.Amigos head toward the bar. As they do, all eyes are ' . on them. The Bandidos move nervously out of their way,

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The bandidos react. Some move away from the bar.

The bartender leans over the bar and whispers conspira- torally.

The Amigos blush, and exchange knowing glances with each other.

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The bartender puts a bottle of tequila and three small shot glasses on the bar.

Ned removes his boot and takes out a wad of bills. ·The bandidos eyes bulge. Ned writes in a notepad.

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NED

I r- (under his breath)

Ten pesos, drinks, Diablo.

He laughs and puts up three man sized glasses, and our boys take them to a table. The bandidos in the bar scatter nervously, clearing a table for them.

They gulp down their man sized glasses of tequila. There is no reaction from the Amigos, who assume they are drinking nothing stronger than beer. The other bandidos in the bar are amazed.

They down another glass.

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( CONTnn.JED)

He spots a piano in a corner.

After some coaxing, Lucky stands up and addresses the crowd.

Ned goes over to the piano.

He runs his fingers over the keys. Lester walks over to a bandido and SQUEEZES HIS FACE into a smile.

~ J.' LESTER \ This will bring a little smile to your face.

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Lucky counts it off.

LESTER, LUCKY AND NED (singing) MY LITTLE BUTTERCUP HAS THE SWEETEST SMILE MY LITTLE BUTTERCUP WON'T YOU STAY A WHILE

They dance around the cantina.

COME WITH ME, WHERE MOONBEAMS PAINT THE SKY AND YOU AND I MIGHT LINGER IN THE SWEET BY AND BY

The bandidos force a smile. Ned whispers "They're loving it."

LUCKY, LESTER AND NED (continuing) 0 LITTLE BUTTERCUP WITH YOUR EYES SO BLUE DEAR LITTLE BUTTERCUP YOU'RE A DREAM COME TRUE YOU AND I, WILL SETTLE DOWN IN A COTTAGE BUILT FOR TWO DEAR LITTLE BUTTERCUP SWEET LITTLE BUTTERCUP MY LITTLE BUTTERCUP I LOVE YOU

On "smile," Ned points to a section of the audience who sings it alone.

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On "While," he points again to a section of the crowd who sings it alone.

They finish. The desperados don't know what to make of what they've seen.

It is still the height of the day. The Amigos still heavily drunk from their tequila, stride down the street discussing their triumph.

They turn .a corner.

Carmen is waiting inside the church. Rodrigo runs in.

They get up and race out into the street.

Rodrigo and Carmen rush up to the Amigos.

I~ I . LUCKY

Yes, we are.

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She kneels in the dust, and kisses the hand of-each Ami?o in turn. Rodrigo reverentially kneels and picks up Ned s guns and hands them back to him.

Rodrigo and Carmen exchange smiles.

The Three Amigos, ALL SITTING ON ONE HORSE, are being led by Carmen and Rodrigo, who ride in front of them.

The five still ride slowly through the desert wasteland, all jammed onto the horse. •

·? They pass three or four bleached cow skulls.

We see a close up of a rattlesnake.

a scorpion snaps its stinger.

7/23/85 55.

He is jammed on the horse between Lester and Lucky.

The five stop outside the village and dismount. They are COVERED WITH DUST.

They begin to pat the dust off them. VOLUMES of dust poof off them, until they are standing in a DENSE CLOUD.

The five of them enter the village. The Amigos are waving at the crowd like they were in the Rose Parade. The villagers line the street, and STARE BACK solemnly and silently, as they watch as the Amigos ride by.

INTERCUT THE GRAVE FACES OF THE WARY CROWD

Rodrigo goes over to Pedro.

7/23/85

The Three Amigos are having dinner in the Sanchez home. The atmosphere is a bit restrained. Carmen is ·wearing a dress and for the first time we see how really-beautiful she is. Lucky takes notice of her. Plates are being passed. The Amigos and the family eat in silence, a bit at a loss for what to say to one another. Ned breaks the silence.

He hands Father.the loaf of bread.

The Amigos adlib their thanks. Carlos and the little boy stare at the Amigos. The Amigos stare back. The little boy shyly walks over to Lester and looks up at him.

The Sanchez family are aghast. The Amigos are merely confused. ,.

i ; CARLOS Pablo! Come we must go.

He grabs the little boy by the hand and pulls him away from Lester.

7/23/85 57.

He leaves.

We now notice that at each window of the room, a group of townspeople has gathered to catch a glimpse of the Amigos. At one of the windows, a group of young girls are looking at Lester, giggling and gesticulating, powerfully impressed by his hairdo. Father Sanchez clears his throat and rises.

They all toast.

Carmen and Rodrigo look at the Amigos and then proudly at each other.

The light of the full moon streams across the faces of The Three Amigos as they lay in a tiny single bed. We pan across their faces.

(CONTINUED}

7/23/85 58.

LESTER

r (to Lucky)

You sure spent a lot of time talking to Carmen.

Ned and Lester close their eyes and go to sleep. Lucky, restless, looks at the moonlight coming through the window. He hears Carmen singing softly in the distance. He is drawn to the balcony. He peers downs and can see Carmen bathing, dimly illuminated by the moonlight. He tries not to look but can't help himself. Her voice drifts gently up to Lucky as she sings. ~

i

[CARMEN SONG ABOUT HEROIC MEN TO COME. LUCKY USES GREAT SKILL HANGING UPSIDE DOWN FROM THE BALCONY TO SEE HER BATHE. POSSIBLY HIS FEET HOOKED OVER THE BALCONY AND HIS BODY STICKING STRAIGHT OUT.]

7/23/85 59.

The town wakes up. The rooster crows, the animais stir. We see the bell in the church tower, being rung by a peasant. It resounds throughout the village.

Lucky and Lester are startled out of bed by the bell. Lester has on his ever-present hairnet.

Ned, wearing an apron, helps Mama in the kitchen. He is cooking like an expert, kneading tortillas and tossing them on the stove. Mama listens sympathetically to him.

Lester enters from the room above. He wears his hairnet and robe. This is clearly too early for him.

He sits at the table and Ned efficently pours him a cup of coffee.

Alone in the desert, three of EL GUAPO'S MEN pass around a tequila bottle. They are liquored up good and are looking for trouble. They finish the bottle. t

i ;, FIRST BANDIDO (throwing the bottle against the rock.) Let us go get some more tequila.

{CONTINUED)

7/23/85

They laugh, mount their horses, and gallop off.

Carmen and several other young women are gathered at the

well, gigg~~~: a:: :i::~:o:• at Carmen.

0 8 Amigos?

c"CARMELfW Did you meetthem i~ Dia~

~~ \ I like the big one ••••

They all giggle.

Lucky, Lester and Ned are getting into their Amigo outfits.

·~ NED 1t'

I know my speech.

7/23/85 61.

He speaks in a dull, flat monotone.

The FIVE BANDIDOS ride toward the town, blood in their eyes.

The girls are s~ill at the well, chattering about the Amigos.

She blushes and retrieves her bucket from the well.

Something causes her to look up. It is the dust stirred up by the bandidos in the distance.

7/23/85 62.

She drops her bucket in the street and runs toward her home. The other girls SCATTER fearfully to alert the town.

Men DROP what they are doing. Someone RINGS a dinner triangle. The doors and windows are SHUTTERED. The street is EMPTYING rapidly.

Carmen shouts up to the Amigos' room.

7/23/85 63.

The drunken RAIDERS, still riding, GET CLOSER to the town.

Ned and Lucky look on in frustration as Lester fusses with his hair and his outfit, polishing each concho in turn. He struggles with a shirt that is sewn onto his underwear to keep it tucked in.

The bandidos are even closer to the town.

We see the peasants of the village, peering from behind doorways, looking nervously toward the riders.

Lucky looks out the window toward the riders.

Lester dilly-dallys with his sash.

The drunken bandidos are in the center of towni They fire a couple of random shots in the air. •

7/23/85 64.

r INT. SANCHEZ KITCHEN - DAY

The Amigos are downstairs peeking out at the bandidos.

The Amigos, in full regalia, SOMERSAULT into the court- yard, and do a SMALL SHOW. Lester drops a feather and Ned draws before it hits the ground, etc. Then they walk boldly into the square, mount their horses, and.pose heroically before the five bandidos. The bandidos stare at each other. Lucky breaks rank and approaches them.

He looks back at the other Amigos and gives a ➔ elf-con gratulatory wink.

7/23/85 65.

Lester walks up to cover for him.

LESTER

ened you will find •.. The •••

"ARRIBA, ARRIBA, ARR.IBA!

The bandidos turn and ride awayl

·r····,

7/23/85 66.

{CONTINUED)

The townspeople beg!n to emerge from hiding.

Carmen walks proudly toward the Amigos.

ANGLE ON THE CARMEN'S FATHER

He gazes respectfully at the Amigos.

RODRIGO hears him; he picks up the chant. ~ r

The rest of the town catches on to the chant.

ANGLE ON CARMEN AND RODRIGO

They approach the three.

{CONTINUED)

7/23/85 67.

From the church tower, a villager rings the bell loudly.

The town responds.

El Guapo lives like a king in an enormous mission he has commandeered. It was built by the Spanish a hundred years earlier. Presently, he is engaged in his hobby, taking "art" photographs of semi-nude women in Turkish harem outfits. He takes it very seriously and composes the tableau as though he were a great artist. Jefe is in the tableau dressed as a Sultan. The three bandidos who faced the Amigo_s talk to El Guapo.

~ BANDIDO r

And they called us scum sucking pigs.

7/23/85 68.

The girls oblige.

He squeezes the bulb and the flash powder goes off.

The fiesta is in progress. A MARIACHI BAND is playing. People are dancing, and the town is truly happy for the first time in many years.

people drinking wine from sacks.

women high-stepping in Mexican dresses.

He is standing with Carmen showing off and trying to look r important.

I

LUCKY

right in the face and for months you could see the shape of the

I horseshoe on my forehead. And

that's how I got the name Lucky.

Their eyes meet. Lucky looks up at the moon.

She suddenly hugs him. Carmen's girlfriends look on and giggle.

It is later that night. The Amigos, make an entrance on the makeshift stage, ready to perform for the ~rowd. SCENE TO SET UP SINGING TO COME. .

'l ALL AMIGOS : WE ARE THREE BRAVE AMIGOS, THREE HAPPY AMIGOS, THEY SAY WE ARE BIRDS OF A FEATHER;

7/23/85 70.

AMIGOS

r

(continuing) WE'RE HAPPY AMIGOS NO MATTER WHERE HE GOES, THE ONE, TWO AND THREE GOES, WE'RE ALWAYS TOGETHER.

WE ARE BRAVE AND WE'LL SAY SO WE'RE BRIGHT AS A PESO, WHO SEZ SO, WE SAY SO, THE THREE AMIGOS!

OH, WE HAVE THE STARS TO GUIDE US, GUITARS HERE BESIDE US, TO PLAY AS WE GO; WE SING AND WE SAMBA; WE SHOUT "AY, CARAMBA," WHAT MEANS AY, CARAMBA? OH YES, I DON'T KNOW.

OH, THROUGH FAIR OR STORMY WEATHER, WE STAND CLOSE TOGETHER LIKE BOOKS ON A SHELF. GOOD PALS THOUGH WE MAY BE, WHEN SOME LATIN BABY SAYS YES, NO OR MAYBE, EACH MAN'S FOR HIMSELF!

The Amigos are joined by the villagers in this.joyous celebration, as it grows to bacchanalian proportions.

The Three Amigos, hangover written all over their faces, are asleep in their little bed, still wearing ~heir Amigo outfits. The church bell CLANGS LOUDLY, but t~is time it keeps ringing. ~

) .

7/23/85 71.

Suddenly, Rodrigo bursts into the room.

He hastily exits.

Lucky walks to the window and looks out. El Guapo and his fifty men stand at the edge of town.

The Amigos exit the house. The villagers watch intently as the Amigos mount their horses.

They ride slowly toward El Guapo and his men. El Guapo rides slowly toward them. We see Carmen with h~r friends.

7/23/85 72.

The two factions stand face to face in the village square. Lucky speaks directly to El Guapo.

The slow burn from El Guapo.

El Guapo looks over at Jefe and shrugs his shoulders.

The bandidos stare curiously. The townspeople let out a big cheer. They give the AMIGO SALUTE, draw th$ir guns and fire into the air. 1

' ~ ALL Arriba! Arriba I Arriba I

\ r This time, they ride in circles around El Guapo and his men, shouting maniacally and doing tricks on their horses. The bandidos stare curiously.

7/23/85 73.

Jefe takes his rifle, sights over his arm and shoots Lucky. Lucky takes a tremendous tumble off his horse. The other two Amigos stop their horses and ride over to the fallen Lucky.

Lucky is clutching his arm in pain.

He's got a little blood on his hand. He looks over at Jefe, whose rifle is still pointed at Lucky. Lucky walks over to Jefe an4 grabs his gun from him.

He opens the rifle and dumps real bullets into his hands. He turns back to Ned and Lester.

He gets a LONG NASTY LOOK back from Jefe, making him realize the truth. He walks back to the other Amigos, and with a big smile on his face, speaks throu,h clenched teeth. l

• LUCKY (continuing) It's real.

7/23/85 74.

Lester starts to cry.

Lucky starts to cry too.

He goes over to El Guapo and speaks to him.

7/23/85 75.

They do the first verse of "My Little Buttercup." We see the stares of El Guapo and his men, and the blank faces of the disappointed townspeople. They finish and stare at El Guapo. El Guapo breaks the silence.

The Amigos nervously mount their horses and slowly ride to the edge of town. The towns people avert their eyes as they pass.

ANGLE ON THE SANCHEZ FAMILY

Carmen has a tear in her eye.

Rodrigo is devastated.

The father shakes his head forlornly.

He fires his pistole into the air. The Amigos flee like frightened rabbits, and the bandidos laugh as they watch them go.

7/23/85 76.

He looks to the towns people and sees Carmen in all her beauty. He rides over to her.

He takes off his hat; she averts her eyes.

Suddenly, he SWOOPS HER ONTO HIS HORSE. She screams and struggles to escape.

Then the bandidos ride through the town like barbarians, shouting and firing their pistoles and torching some of the buildings. }

l

The Amigos are hiding up in the hills above Santo Poco. They have built a small campfire. They are standing r I looking at the village far below. They can see the light of the fires.

7/23/85 77.

SCENE TO COME, LESTER TAKES CARE OF LUCKY'S WOUNDS. FRIEND SONG TO COME.

The Amigos ride shamefully back into town. The town has taken a terrible beating. Remnants of fires still burn, broken doors lie in the street. Lucky is wearing a tour- ; niquet. A mother with her child sees the Amigos and turns away. LESTER sees the little boy, Pablo. He gives him a wave, but the boy FROWNS and ducks inside a building.

They knock on the door of the Sanchez home. Father opens the door. Mama stands behind him sobbing.

He closes the door on them. They turn away and see RODRIGO.

7/23/85 78.

Lester sees Rodrigo.

Rodrigo sees them and takes off running. Lester sees him and chases after him. He sees Rodrigo enter a BARN and Lester ALONE, follows him in.

Lester enters the stable, and though he sees no one, he knows Rodrigo is in there.

There is silence from Rodrigo.

7/23/85 79.

At that moment, NED AND LUCKY enter the stable with Rodrigo, who is looking downcast.

All three look sympathetically at the boy. There's a long pause. Rodrigo begins to cry.

He takes Ned and Lester aside.

7/23/85 80.

'

Ned and Lester pass Rodrigo shamefully as they go.

They are sitting on their horses.

At that moment, Lucky comes out and walks slowly across the street and gets on his horse.

Ned and Lester cheer. Rodrigo bursts out of ttie barn on horseback. He yells to the Amigos. ~ ,,..., :r· RODRIGO I (giving the Amigo

salute) Follow me, Amigos I

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We see a courtyard where many pinatas hang from open beams. El Guapo looks slightly depressed. One of the bandidos is wearing Ned's dressing gown. Some of the Amigos possessions are near El Guapo. El Gu~po sits with Jefe, finishing his breakfast. El Guapo pushes his plate away. The obsequious Jefe anticipates El Guapo's every need.

~ You know Jefe, ten years ago if the people of Santo Poco had dared to bring in men to help them, even such monkeys as those, I would have destroyed the town and slit the throats of everyone there. Today I am tort! years old and I am not the man was.

7/23/85

~ i sexy camp follower/4~s a...:n.;::.;d~p-ou-;s tffee (~ ~~apo. As she pours she leans over, expos· g her _ D. \ cleavage. Jefe leers at Conchita. ~J

JEFE \~ El Guapo, could I have a moment of your time? Aw~

EL GUAPO ~ Of course, Jefe.

El Guapo takes out his gun and loads it. Jefe reacts nervously.

7/23/85 83.

He points the gun at Jefe and backs him up.

7/23/85 84.

Conchita enters her cell. We see Carmen chained to the wall.

The Amigos ride across the desert.

The Amigos and Rodrigo come upon a fork in the road. There is an old man digging.

OLD MAN

: That is a good question my son.

He laughs and continues digging.

7/23/85 85.

The old man shakes with laughter.

7/23/85 86.

r He indicates another path.

Ned comforts Rodri~o as Lester takes Lucky aside and explains "take her to him. We don't hear much, but we do hear the following words:

7/23/85 87.

They all give a WEAK, SNIVELING LAUGH, and ride down the road.

We see the Amigos and Rodrigo as they ride slowly through a dark high-walled canyon. STRANGE SOUNDS ECHO through the air. ODD FLYING BIRDS fly across the canyon. The sky is blood red.

They ride a little longer. Then:

7/23/85 88.

VOICE (eerie) Neeeeeed .••. Little Neddy Knickers .•••

He looks over at Lucky and Lester. They shrug their shoulders. It wasn't them. Ned listens to the voice.

VOICE Ned, it's Harry Flugleman. You're the talented one .•• You could be a big star. Why waste your time with these guys?

VOICE Meow ••• meow •.•

VOICE Meow .•• meow .••

7/23/85 89.

They cover their ears and ride toward the end of the canyon. As they ride we various voices, including El Guapo. Some of the voices are saying things like:" Ned, you're the star, not these other schlumps." "Lucky, you wouldn't even have to marry me .•. " "Lester, it's me, Tweeky, your parakeet .•• " etc.

rr- LESTER

The old man was right. Let's face jt, we're dead men.

In the background, we hear in the distance, a highly spirited little ditty, a la "Zippity Doo Dab," being sung by a lilting male voice.

They walk up a rise and see a miraculous sight. It's a lush rain forest, and sitting at the edge is A SINGING BUSH.

He stops singing.

7/23/85 90.

The bush CONTINUES in the background for the rest of the scene.

They walk a distance away from the singing bus~.

i

They draw their guns. With much concern, Lucky points

7/23/85 91.

{CONTINUED)

his weapon skyward and FIRES into the blue. Then, Lester FIRES his pistol into the air. NED doesn't point his weapon in the air, but casually fires off to the side. WE HEAR A LOUD "OW" followed by a thud. We see the indentation in the mud of a man holding a sword. Lucky and Lester crowd over the indentation, looking horrified.

Lester picks up an invisible hand feels the pulse and drops the hand back in the mud (The SINGING BUSH is still chirping happily in the background).

Suddenly something attracts his attention.

He takes them aside. He points to about ten smiiing Aztec type natives looking at them.

He waves at the Indians, and the Indians wave ~ackl

,,._ The Indians carry Ned and Lucky and Rodrigo on an ornate (.).•"" platform borne on their shoulders. Lester is ahead on a I, separate platform. There is food and flowers and other garlands spread around them. The Indians SING MERRILY IN A FOREIGN TONGUE.

{CONTINUED)

7/23/85 92.

The Indian smiles back.

SUBTITLES: OH MIGHTY VOLCANO, WE'RE SO HAPPY TO LIVE UNDER YOUR SPEW

SUBTITLES: OH MIGHTY VOLCANO, WE KNEEL BEFORE YOU WITH OUR HUMBLE OFFERINGS OF UGLY PINK FLESH

The Amigos smile at the Indians.

SUBTITLES: WE'LL TEAR THEIR INTESTINES FROM THEIR WRITH- ING BODIES. AND WE'LL PUT THEIR LIVERS ON A STONE AND SMASH THEM. WE'LL RIP THEIR STINKING WHITE HEARTS FROM THEIR BREASTS AND PUT THEM ON A POINTED STICK •.•

SUBTITLE: I LIKE TO EAT THE EYES!

Ned nods cheerfully at the solo Indian. Ned starts to sing with them, the Indians smile at him.

TO COME, CARMEN AND EL GUAPO SCENE WHERE HE THREATENS HER.

-------------

7/23/85 93.

On a cliff, overlooking El Guapo's, the Amigos and Rodrigo are buried from their necks down in a pit of sand. Only their heads are visible. The Indians dance around them ominously.

He stops himself.

7/23/85 94.

The tribe continues to chant ominously. Suddenly the drums stop and the chief, wearing a boars head and ass mask, walks out and faces them.

The chief hears "mumbo jumbo," laughs, then all his men say "mumbo jumbo" and laugh too. He then instructs his men to open the jars of honey.

The chief looks up at the sun, understanding.

Suddenly the sun BEGINS TO DARKEN; there is a TOTAL ECLIPSE! The Amigos look at each other amazed.

The chief stops in his tracks and looks up at the sun, then back to Lucky. ~

i ; CHIEF (to Lucky) Eclipse.

He orders the Indians to advance with the honey. They pour it over Ned's head, then Lucky's, then Rodrigo's.

7/23/85 95.

Then they start toward Lester. His loathing of this possibility is unbridled.

He starts to shake uncontrollably. Screaming.

Suddenly, as the honey pot nears his head, he POPS UNDERGROUND AND DISAPPEARS! As the Indians reach for the others, they each start shaking, POP UNDERGOUND and DISAPPEAR.

We see them sliding rapidly down a tunnel.

From a sheer rock face with a mine shaft opening, the Amigos and Rodrigo are DUMPED onto a pile of sand. r Slowly they get and check themselves to make sure everything is working.

7/23/85 96.

He is STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. He gets up, slightly shaken.

Suddenly, from overhead, the FRENCHMAN'S PLANE flys over them and begins its descent somewhere in the distance.

They march off toward the plane.

There are a pair of large gates being opened to admit a band of peasants bringing a large pinata for El Guapo. Jefe is guiding the operation.

7/23/85 97.

7/23/85 98.

7/23/85 99.

The Frenchman's plane flies over the mission. El Guapo looks up.

The Amigos and Rodrigo pause in the hills outside El Guapo's camp. They look down on his castle and see it for the first time. On the road below, they see the peasants carrying a pinata to El Guapo's.

Lucky is in deep thought.

7/23/85 100.

The Frenchman and his two henchmen stand before El Guapo. Jefe opens a crate.

Jefe shows the guns in the back of the buckboard.

We hear a voice offscreen.

VOICE Open the gates!

All eyes turn toward the gates. They open and we see THE GIANT PINATA outside the mission. Standing next to it, is Rodrigo and also Ned, who is disguised as a peasant.

Lucky sneaks alongside the mission wall, leapi~g over obstacles as he goes.

Rodrigo and Ned, stand next to the pinata which bas now

7/23/85 101.

been brought into the courtyard. They hide their faces beneath their sombreros. Jefe has been speaking to them.

Several bandidos attach ropes to the pinata in prepara- tion for lifting into the air.

The bandidos prepare to hoist the pinata. Ned and Rodrigo exchange looks.

~

Lucky scales the wall in his inimitable Lucky ,ay style. This will be funny. (TALK TO STEVE)

Rodrigo and Ned watch in terror as the pinata is being hoisted to the sky.

7/23/85 102.

The bandidos seize Lucky.

He backs out of the courtyard and disappears into a hall.

7/23/85 103.

{CONTINUED)

El Guapo puts his hands around Lucky's throat and picks him up. Lucky speaks in a high, strangulated voice.

They drag Lucky off. The Frenchman looks at Lucky, as if there were something familiar about him.

Bandidos bring out many colorful pinatas and begin to raise them to the ceiling. The courtyard comes to life and the mariache band begins to play. Conchita and the bandido girls dance and sing to the music.

Two bandidos drag Lucky down a hallway, past cells holding prisoners.

{CONTINUED)

7/23/85 104.

He looks over and sees Carmen in one of the cells.

CARME?1 Lucky, thank God you're alive. I thought you'd be dead by now.

They drag him off.

El Guapo's birthday is in progress. The pinata swings precariously ab~ve the party.

A lone guard sits with a rifle across his knees, drinking beer. Ned, gun drawn, sneaks up behind him to knock him out. Ned unable to commit to hitting him hard enough to knock him out, dances around behind him, making tentative passes with the gun at the bandidos head. Finally he hits him and knocks him out.

The girls still dance to the music. The Frenchman and El Guapo are enjoying themselves. Jefe, ever alert, scans the ramparts for other Amigos.

)."

Lucky stands in the middle of the cell. Chaini are attached to his hands and feet. The chains go~through the wall, back across the ceiling and are attaehed to a winch opposite him. One of the bandidos starts to crank the· winch. Lucky, protesting, is pulled toward the wall and finally is elevated several inches above the floor, hanging by his arms and legs. The bandidos put the key to his chains on nail opposite him.

7/23/85 105.

They laugh and exit.

Ned, DRESSED IN THE BANDIDO'S CLOTHES, makes his way down a hall.

The party continues. We see the pinata swaying gently over the courtyard. Ned, appears at the balcony near the pinata. He surveys the courtyard below. We see the array of ropes that support the many pinatas that have been hung from the ceiling.

7/23/85 106.

The activity stops, all the bandidos look around curious- ly, wondering where the voice came from, then resume their partying.

Lucky, attached to the wall, is struggling against his bonds. We see the winch straining against his tugs.

Ned slips in and out among the bandidos, trying to get the door through which Lucky was taken. The song has finished and the bandidos sit at a long banquet table. Jefe rises to speak.

All the bandidos rise. Ned, moving through the.crowd, is forced to pause and raise a glass.

He gets a glare from El Guapo.

7/23/85 107.

He hands El Guapo a wrapped gift.

He unwraps the gift and produces a garrish short-sleeved shirt.

El Guapo loves it. He gives Jefe a hug.

Lucky is tugging against his bonds and is starting to make headway! The winch gives a little. Lucky, still attached to his chains, gets several feet away from the wall, but the winch resists and BOOM!, he gets snapped {~ back to the wall. r· .

El Guapo, who is now wearing his new shirt, is making a big speech to his men. Ned has been moved very near to him.

He goes over to one of the men.

He looks Ned dead in the eye.

7/23/85 108.

He's stuck.

NED

NED

Jefe approches him and pulls off his hat.

Jefe takes Ned's guns. The Frenchman looks curiously at Ned.

·i t They start to haul him away. The Frenchman st!ps forward. i

• FRENCHMAN Wait a minute. I know who this man is.

7/23/85 109.

-.

7/23/85 110.

r FRENCHMAN

We shall see.

We cut on Ned's frightened look.

Lucky is again straining against his bonds. He pulls on his chains, trying to get to the winch which is across the room. He walks stiff-legged, like the tin man.

This time he reaches the winch and hangs on.

A smile of triumph.is on his face. He relaxes for a moment and is iUDDediately thrown back against the wall, and splatters against it, like an insect on a windscreen.

; ~ The bandidos have made room for the gunfight tliat is about to take place between the Frenchman and ~ed. They are handing Ned a gunbelt and guns.

( CONTTJl1TTFT1 \

7/23/85 111.

Lucky again struggle toward the winch. This time he is near it. He strains. Finally he snags the rotor. Alternately, he wins, the winch wins. As the winch pulls, his leg rises in the air. As he pulls, the leg goes down. The winch pulls, his other leg goes up. At last, after much effort, he pulls the pin on the winch and releases the spring. He goes to the key on the wall and releases himself. He is free!

The gunfight continues to develope. The Frenchman parades around, PRACTICING HIS FAST DRAW. He is fast. Real fast.

He examines a huge pair of "manly' guns.

Ned reluctantly straps on the guns.

Lucky races down the hall. He breaks into Carmen's cell and frees her.

7/23/85 112.

They race out.

The Frenchman and Ned stand twenty paces apart. The Frenchman determined. Ned scared to death.

Ned and Carmen race down the hall, looking for Ned and Rodrigo. At last, they emerge at the top of the balcony, adjacent to the pinata that hides Lester.

Lucky looks down in the courtyard. He sees the impending duel. He is dumbstruck.

He draws his gun and points it at Ned.

7/23/85 113.

El Guapo prepares to fire. But, from the balcony, Lucky's VOICE IS HEARD.

El Guapo looks up. Lucky has the drop on all of them.

He steps onto a rope which is secured by a lever at the edge of the balcony, (logistics to be solved by art department). He is intending to lower himself on the rope down the the floor of the courtyard.

He kicks free the lever securing the rope. But instead of descending, HE RAPIDLY ASCENDS TO THE CEILING. It is the rope tied to Lester's pinata. The Pinata plunges to the floor and breaks open. JEFE DRAWS HIS GUN.

Jefe aims at Lester. Lester sees him and jumps out of the broken pinata. The rope supporting Lucky is now WEIGHTLESS, and Lucky hurtles to the ground, but his fall is broken as he LANDS ON JEFE. El Guapo sees the disas- ter. At that moment, THE GATES SWING OPEN AND~RODRIGO CHARGES IN WITH FOUR HORSES. ~

' EL GUAPO (indicating Lucky) Shoot him!

The bandidos raise their rifles and aim at Lucky.

7/23/85 114.

Rodrigo rides past the ropes holding the pinatas and SLASHES THEM with a knife. The pinatas fall on the bandidos. In the confusion, The Amigos and Carmen mount up, and they ride right through the center of the courtyard, their guns blazing.

The bandidos mount up and ride after them.

The five of them ride.

They ride off into a clump of trees.

We see the bandidos, lead by El Guapo, looking for the Amigos.

Suddenly, the FRENCHMAN'S PLANE, with Ned at the controls and the rest of them hanging on for dear life, comes FLYING TOWARD THEM.

The plane bounces across the desert.

The peasants, doing repairs to their town, are disturbed by a sound they have never heard·before., They look up, and POINT to a little speck in the distance. After a few moments, the airplane BOUNCES into the main street of

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Santo Poco. The whole town surrounds the plane. Carmen stands on the wing and quiets the crowd.

The crowds reacts in fear. We hears crys of "This time he will kill us all, etc." Lucky QUIETS THE CROWD.

He steps up on the wing.

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The townspeople gather round.

We see the bell in the church tower and hear it ringing loudly.

We are in the Amigos old room. They are in their bed.

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In a series of cuts, we see The Amigos, in peasant clothing, and several townspeople doing tasks around town, preparing· for the upcoming fight. Lester and three peasants turn over some wagons. Lucky is jumping from roof to roof with several others as they test the roofs for support and check out vantage points. Rodrigo prys open a box and hands Ned a gun. Ned spins the chamber and looks approvingly. Lucky looks off in the far distance and sees a dust cloud raised by El Guapo and his men. The Amigos exchange glances and head for the Sanchez home.

El Guapo and his men ride toward the town.

The Amigos, alone in the center of the square, mount i their horses, check their weapons, and ride ou~ to the edge of of the empty town. f

El Guapo rides up several hundred yards outside Santo Poco and raises his hand for his men to stop.

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El Guapo's men make sarcastic farting noises.

They men laugh mockingly.

The Amigos turn their horses toward the town and ride back.

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El Guapo, his back toward the town, yells at the An~igos.

He turns, but the Amigos are gone. The town is empty.

They ride into the town.

El Guapo and men stop in the center of the square.

Where are you, my friends?

Suddenly, from a rooftop, the Three Amigos stand up, a gun in each hand, and let fly a hail of bullets on El Guapo and his men. Four or five bandidos fall to the ground.

The bandidos turn and fire wildly at the roof where the Amigos were, but it is too late. They are gone. Sud- denly, from another roof, almost magically, the Amigos appear again and fire into the crowd, downing several of them.

El Guapo and his men fire into the new site. But again it is too late, the Amigos are gonel El Guapo's men scatter. But a door bursts open and the Three Amigos fly across the square, guns blazing, and hit a few more of his men, and then disappear into another door.

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Five of El Guapo's men run toward the door. But before they can get there, The Amigos appear from behind the buckboard. More gun fire. Several of the bandidos run up to El Guapo.

Several bandidos throw down their guns and flee!

Many of his men have fallen, and some have run away. El Guapo runs to the center of the square, his guns firing. He sees the Amigos in one place and fires. The Amigos are gonel ·He swings and fires at them somewhere else. They are gone again! Finally, El Guapo himself is hit and falls to the ground. The rest of his men run away. The fighting is over.

r ANGLE ON THE AMIGOS

Lester, Lucky and Ned approach El Guapo, who is laying up against the water trough. Lucky bends down to him.

We see from El Guapo's point of view, blurry at first, but then more focused. He sees Three Amigos approach him, then from a different direction, three more approach 1 him. Then another three, then three more. It is the i townspeople, dressed as Amigos. Y.

i

LUCKY (continuing) More like a hundred and thir- ty-three.

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The town is filled with villagers dressed like the Amigos.

Lucky leans in and El Guapo SHOOTS HIM in the foot.

El Guapo bellows a laugh and dies. Lucky hops around holding his foot.

The Amigos are on their horses in the center of the square, surrounded by the townspeople. The people show a respectful admiration. They carry flowers and occasion- ally a peasant places a rose on a saddle or lays it in front of the Amigos path. We see cuts of the faces of the peasants: a tearful Mama Sanchez, Rodrigo looking on proudly at the Amigos, and the three pinata peasants. The CHILD who Lester befriended rushes up to him and speaks to him.

He gives the boy his watch. The boy looks at him wor- shipfully.

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r NED

No, Rodrigo. There is still much to be done here. Your village needs you and your family needs you. We are men without homes; we were meant to wander.

From the crowd, CARMEN emerges and approaches Lucky. He leans down and speaks to her.

He kisses her. SUDDENLY, THE CROWD GASPS. It is FATHER SANCHEZ, who emerges from his house. He hobbles over to the Amigos, holding out his bag of "gold."

Ned has a big, broad smile. He looks over at tucky and Lester, tosses the bag in the air a couple of times.

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He TOSSES THE BAG OF GOLD BACK to Carmen. He looks at Lucky and Lester and they smile at each other. Father Sanchez opens the bag and pours out WASHERS.

They give the AMIGO SALUTE, then turn their horses toward the horizon.

Their horses rear upf

The MUSIC SWELLS, and they ride off as the townspeople cheer them. They stop outside of town and look back and salute with their sombreros. Then, they ride off into the setting sun.

I